There are five blue zones where researchers have found people live the longest, active and medication free lives. In fact, people in the Blue Zones have as many as 4 times the number of centenarians (>100 years old) as the US. The US has only 1.73 centenarians for every 10,000 people. The Blue Zone locations are: * Sardinia, Italy * Okinawa Japan * Icaria, Greece * Loma Linda, California * Nicoya Peninsula, Costa Rica . In Icaria, remarkably, almost one out of three people make it to their 90s and cancer, heart disease and dementia are nearly non-existent. Some of the hallmarks of the Blue Zones are: * Primarily plant based diet * Meat (especially red meat) is only eaten a few times a month * Many dishes contain healthy servings of beans * Plants are indigenous -- and free of pesticides * Dishes made w/ locally grown herbs * In the Med, dishes include healthy doses of local Olive Oil * No processed food and no snacking * Sunny locale ensures plenty of Vitamin D * Sugar is mostly consumed from fruits * Obesity is virtually non-existent Remaining active is also key in these areas. Most people over 90 still work, with many holding jobs after 100. The low stress, tight knit community is a also key factor in longevity in the Blue Zones. . Read about it here: https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2015/04/11/398325030/eating-to-break-100-longevity-diet-tips-from-the-blue-zones https://www.bluezones.com/ . View some of the recipes here: https://www.bluezones.com/blue-zones-kitche . NIH/Pubmed has many studies that conclude reduced and or meat-free diets extend longevity. Here's one study that shows a large population (monitored over several years) where 12% fewer vegetarians died from all cause mortality: https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/vegetarian-diets-linked-lower-mortality